No longer interim

During its meeting on Tuesday (Nov. 15), the Chico City Council unanimously voted to appoint longtime firefighter Bill Hack as chief of the Chico Fire Department.

Hack served in the position on an interim basis since Jan. 1, when he replaced former Fire Chief Shane Lauderdale. He’s the first Chico firefighter to begin his career with the department and rise through the ranks internally and get promoted to chief since Elmer Brouillard was appointed in 1953, according to the CN&R’s archives.

He’ll have his hands full. The department currently is developing a staffing plan in the absence of a previously anticipated $4.1 million federal grant, which fell through last month and likely will result in firefighter layoffs.